title: ICD implantation and arrhythmia-free survival in patients with depressed LV function following surgery for valvular heart disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although prophylactic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation is beneficial in patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy, it is unclear whether patients with cardiomyopathy due to valvular heart disease have a similar benefit.
  
  
  METHODS
  We followed 17 patients (14 men/three women, age 62 +/- 13 years, left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] 29 +/- 10%) who had nonischemic valvular cardiomyopathy, underwent valvular heart surgery (aortic valve replacement, mitral valve replacement, and/or mitral valve repair), and subsequently had an electrophysiology study (EPS), for a median of 2.8 years. These patients were compared with 34 patients with prior myocardial infarction and no significant valvular heart disease, who were matched (1:2) for age, gender, LVEF, EPS result, T-wave alternans result, and ICD placement. Occurrence of arrhythmias was ascertained from ICD device clinic follow-up and vital status was determined using the National Death Index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences between the groups in overall survival (P = 0.24) or arrhythmia-free survival (P = 0.38), and the 2-year arrhythmia-free survival was 82% for the valvular patients versus 73% for the ischemic patients. Among patients with ICDs, there was no difference between the groups in overall survival (P = 0.34), time to first appropriate ICD therapy (P = 0.54), and arrhythmia-free survival (P = 0.51).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with valvular cardiomyopathy and residual left ventricular dysfunction following valvular surgery who underwent a tailored approach to ICD implantation had similar overall and arrhythmia-free survival as patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Beth Israel Medical Center, University Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Bindi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Sei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwai
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Markowitz
authors.forename: Bruce B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Lerman
authors.forename: Kenneth M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control*